My last blog entry was on the pros & cons of online shopping and how it can save time but create unnecessary waste. Here’s another conundrum for you – When does doing a small good take so much time that it’s not worth it?The culprit: a broken mixer bladeThe solution: Buy a replacement blade.The problem: It’s not as quick and easy as it sounds.

The rest of the story: Last Christmas, in an effort to be a loving sister I decided to make homemade chocolate chip cookies for my out of town brother. I used a 50+ year old Sunbeam electric mixer that had been handed down to me by my mother-in-law. It had been working fine. Unfortunately, cooking is not my strength and in the process I stupidly broke one of the mixer blades. I limped along, substituting a portable mixer which was not nearly as strong. I finished the batch of cookies, mailed them, but realized it did not reflect my best work.

Since I wanted to keep the mixer and virtuously wanted to repair it rather than scrap it, I decided to do what any modern cook would do:

I spent an hour searching Amazon for a replacement beater. Having no luck there, I took the next reasonable step –

I googled “Sunbeam mixer” and found a “Live Chat.” Since my internet search skills must not be much better than my cooking skills, I tried 3 times to connect with the Live Chat with no response.

I finally found a phone number for Sunbeam and after being on hold for 10 minutes learned, “If it’s over 20 years old, we can’t fix it, BUT we suggest you call Kiefer Appliances.”

Kiefer Appliances (608) 221-3322, deserves a shout out since a live person answered the phone, told me how to find the “hidden” model number, and said he had a replacement beater in stock. I bought it for much less than a new mixer would cost.

Result: I feel good that I could save an old (and very serviceable) mixer but frustrated that it took so much time.

News Flash: Now this may be simply a longer than necessary story which does you no immediate good. So, let me share some useful news that I learned along the way that may help folks no matter what kind of repair job you are faced with. Did you know that there are “Repair Cafes?” Read this New York Times article about how beloved but broken possessions find new life.

Thoughts to ponder:

Do you have any experiences of rescuing a broken item? (Please comment below.)

How much time do you invest before calling it quits and buying something new

And the age-old, probably unanswerable question – How come they don’t make things last as long as they used to (think appliances, phones, computers, etc.)?

Oh…and by the way (I’m not sure if this comment appears before or after the “planned obsolescence screed), what about those land line phones of the 1950s-1980s that were seemingly manufactured to last forever. While it might be fun to have a 1950s-era phone on display, considering technology and cultural changes, do we really need phones that will last for 50 years?

I remember that the phrase “planned obsolescence” gained a lot of popularity in the 1950s. The idea was that sinister crafty-minded manufacturers were attempting to sell more products by purposely constructing their devices — washing machines, e.g. — so that they wouldn’t last as long and we’d have to buy replacements sooner. But this concept of what might be called “contrived undurability” (my term) is possibly more conspiracy theory than actuality. I’m sure it happens, but a lot of the reason we change models is because of relentless innovation and competition and manufacturers’ desire to bring prices down by using less durable materials. Sometimes this works out well, as with cars, which get much better mileage by being lighter and are more repairable due to use of plastics, etc. Now think about your clothing. I know that Kentucky may not be the epicenter of high fashion, but do you really want your opera night outfit to be designed to last 100 years? Fashions change, by nature, and while it might be nice to have a dish towel last 50 years, we don’t necessarily like our Sunday-go-to-meetin’ duds to look like we got them in the 1940s.